has been added to it. It has been proposed by Steinegger (2) to 
employ the aldehyde value as a means of detecting the addition of 
water to milk. The aldehyde value for normal milk in Sohxlet- 
Henkel degrees varies between 5.8° and 8.5° and is lowered by the 
addition of water to milk, but not by the removal of fats. According 
to Comanducci (3) the watering and skimming of milk may be 
determined by the lowering of what he proposes to call the index 
of oxidation of milk. This he determines by means of tenth- 
normal potassium permanganate in acid solution. The number of 
cubic centimeters of potassium permanganate solution required to 
oxidize 1 cubic centimeter of milk is what this author calls the index 
of oxidation. This lias been found, to be different for the milk of 
different animals, but practically constant for the normal milk of any 
particular animal species. He gives the following values for the 
index of oxidation of the milk of the following animals: 
Cow 50-52 Ass 55-58 
Goat 44-46 Woman 53-60 
Sheep 43^48 
% 
He also finds that the value of the index of oxidation of cow’s 
milk diminishes with the amount of water added, and also with skim- 
ming. Thus the index of oxidation of cow’s milk containing 50 per 
cent of water was found to be 25, and that of skimmed milk 40 to 42. 
The addition of water to milk is not only a fraudulent practice 
and one which as such should be condemned, but it may frequently 
be a serious menace to the public health. Atlee (4) has pointed out 
that impure water is one of the most frequent sources of milk pollu- 
tion. This pollution may occur either through the use of water for 
purposes of adulteration or as the result of washing the milk containers 
and utensils in impure water. As is well known, milk is one of the 
best possible culture media for the growth of micro-organisms, espe- 
cially many of the pathogenic bacteria. It is conceivable, indeed it is 
a well-known fact, that the introduction of a few pathogenic organ- 
isms into milk through the addition of impure water will under cer- 
tain conditions give rise to a fluid containing countless numbers of 
such organisms. In this way the adulteration of milk with water may 
give rise to a widespread dissemination of various infections, espe- 
cially typhoid fever, diptheria, scarlet fever, etc. Aside therefore from 
the fraudulent aspect of the practice, the adulteration of milk with 
water, from any and every source, as frequently happens, becomes 
a matter of serious concern, and of all fraudulent and uncleanly 
practices resorted to in the handling and sale of milk this and the 
uncleanly methods of handling milk are the two which should be 
most vigorously combated and condemned. 
